Sierra Leone pilgrims coming next month after 2-year absence

RIYADH: Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Alhaji Mohamed Sillah Kargbo said that 800 pilgrims from his country will start arriving early next month to perform Haj in the Kingdom.
“Our quota is 3,000 pilgrims but we are allowed only 800. They will come in two batches on the same day on board Nas Air,” Kargbo said on Tuesday. The Sierra Leonean ambassador added that the pilgrims will be headed by Minister of State Mohamed Ali Pah as Amirul Haj.
“On behalf of my government, I am thanking the Kingdom for lifting the ban in May this year on our pilgrims to perform Haj in the Kingdom,” he said.
He added that “I am also thanking the Kingdom in advance for helping to make the Haj performance of our pilgrims successful.”
M.B. Jalloh, information attaché, added that for the last two years, pilgrims from Sierra Leone were banned from traveling to the Kingdom to perform Haj because of the Ebola outbreak, to which the Kingdom made technical and medical assistance to contain it.
“There could have been more pilgrims from Sierra Leone this year despite the relatively high cost of coming here. They are keen to perform Haj after the two-year ban but we have to abide by the limit imposed on us,” he said.
He added that the pilgrims will touch down at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah, then proceed to Makkah and Madinah.
He also said that some of them will stay for some time after Haj to visit various tourist attractions in the Kingdom, which has ramped up its local tourism industry.